Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 1-28-22

Political
Florida Redistricting Plan Faces Opposition From DeSantis
Biden Administration Providing Free COVID-19 Tests, Masks Overwhelmingly Popular: Poll
Florida state senators this week offered a rare hint of bi- partisan agreement on a plan to redraw a swing state’s con- gressional district boundaries in a way that placates both ma- jority Republicans and minor- ity Democrats — and likely a state Supreme Court that is keeping careful watch of both. But a last-minute intervention from an unusual source — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) — has tripped up what might have been a smooth finish to a bumpy process, adding what amounts to a new lap of an al- ready-long course just as legis- lators thought they were nearing the finish line.
DeSantis this week pro- posed his own version of a map, which would likely hand his party control of 17 of 28 seats in Congress for the next decade while ensuring Democ- rats eight seats. The remaining three seats would be narrowly divided between the two par- ties.
In a statement, the gover- nor’s top lawyer said DeSan- tis’s proposal would adhere more closely to state and fed- eral redistricting rules.
“We have submitted an al- ternative proposal, which we can support, that adheres to
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS
federal and state require- ments, while working to in- crease district compactness, minimize county splits where feasible, and protect minority voting populations,” general counsel Ryan Newman said.
Newman hinted that De- Santis might veto a map that did not suit his tastes.
“Because the Governor must approve any congressional map passed by the Legislature, we wanted to provide our pro- posal as soon as possible and in a transparent manner,” the attorney said.
But days later, the state Sen- ate adopted its own map, one that divides the state’s 28- member delegation between 14
Republican-heavy districts, eight that favor Democrats and six that would be competitive.
That version passed the Sen- ate in a 31-4 vote, with five members not voting, though over the objections of Latino advocacy groups that say it un- duly dilutes their voting power. Republicans control 24 of 40 seats in the state Senate.
But Democrats who voted for the Senate-passed plan said they were surprised at DeSan- tis’s intervention, which came after the legislature had been at work for months on its own plans.
“What his map was, at the last minute, we didn’t know. He just sent this map over and wanted us to take it up,” said state Sen. Linda Stewart (D). “I don’t know what au- thority he had to do that, but I can tell you he only had, I don’t know if it was 72 hours or some limited time for a senator to pick up his map, and no- body did.”
The Senate’s proposal has now headed to the state House, where majority Republicans have proposed two different maps of their own, both of which favor Republicans more than the Senate version while preserving Lawson’s district.
The Biden administration’s efforts to provide free COVID- 19 tests and masks to Ameri- cans across the country are overwhelmingly popular, ac- cording to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by Axios and Ipsos, found that 84 percent of adults in the U. S. strongly or somewhat support the federal government mail- ing free at-home COVID-19 tests to anyone who requests them.
Additionally, 84 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat support the fed- eral government providing N95 masks to anyone who wants one through pharmacies and health clinics.
The Biden administration announced last month that it was purchasing 500 million rapid COVID-19 tests to dis-
tribute to individuals across the country at no cost. The website to order tests went live last week, giving Americans the opportunity to order four at-home tests per household at a time when pharmacies were selling out of supplies.
Some experts, however, said President Biden’s decision to make 500 million rapid tests free should have been made months earlier.
In another effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 amid the omicron variant surge, the White House announced last week that it was also making 400 million N95 masks avail- able for free. Supplies will be available for pickup at “tens of thousands of local pharma- cies” and at thousands of com- munity health centers, according to the White House.
McConnell Slammed For
Not Considering African
Americans As Americans
After Republicans blocked Democrats’ efforts to protect and expand voting rights, Mitch McConnell let everyone know what he really feels.
The Kentucky GOP senate minority leader spoke to re- porters on Wednesday (Jan. 19) after two Democratic sen- ators refused to go along with a plan to change Senate rule to overcome a GOP filibuster of voting rights legislation. He was asked what he would say to voters of color who are concerned about their access to the polls prior to Novem- ber’s midterm elections.
"Well, the concern is mis- placed," McConnell said. "Because if you look at the statistics, African American
MITCH MCCONNELL
voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Ameri- cans."
The inference that Black people are not Americans, whether intentional or a slip of the tongue, was quickly met with backlash on social media.
PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022